Ma; 1, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



331 



wet, claggy condition. It is now like eg many lumps of iron, 

 defying rakes, rollers, and clod-crushers. A farmer told us the 

 other day, that it would have paid him better to have kept his 

 liorscs at home, and paid the men for a holiday. The wet 

 weather so long continued, and other causes, have thrown us 

 behind with our work, and now it would be a privilege to be 

 able to make each man into three. 



Now is a good time to turn a horse in to roU the laimis 

 thoroughly, as little mark will be left by his feet. It is a sad 

 waste of time and labour, except in small places, to make three 

 or four men draw a heavy roller, and a light roller is of little 

 use at present. If lawns are thoroughly and heavily rolled this 

 month, they will be much more easily mown and machined 

 during the season. 



As we are very busy, on a part of the lawn, instead of mowing, 

 we merely swept the Daisies off with the Daisy knife. Several 

 readers have written to us hoping and believing we make too 

 much of the expense of a lawn. We know full well that when 

 hope is buoyant and strong, it requires only a short journey to 

 reach belief; but "facts are stubborn things." The pro- 

 prietor of a pretty small place informed us lately, that he was 

 coaxed into enlarging his lawn, en the faith that it would not 

 involve more than an extra twenty-pound note per annum ; but 

 hve times that sum was nearer the mark. It is all very nice 

 to dream of switching it over with the scythe, or vastly more 

 economically running a small hand-cutting machine over it ; 

 but disappointments and untidy lawns would alike be avoided 

 if it were borne in mind, that in general seasons, lawns to be 

 nice ought to be gone over at least three times a-fortuight, from 

 April to November, and several limes before and after these 

 periods. 



From a mass of other work we have never been able to have 

 the lawns here presentable until the middle of June, being 

 obhged to content ourselves with keeping the most exposed and 

 particular parts. In many places, part of what is considered 

 lawn, or kept grounds, might be left in a comparatively rough 

 state, mown merely several times in the season, and with little 

 detriment to the general effect ; but such a mode of managing 

 email lawns close to a residence is altogether out of character, 

 and no lawn, or one half or quarter the size, would be better in 

 every way. To a number of explicit inquiries as to the time and 

 labour involved in keeping certain spaces of lawn, we would 

 give, and can only give, the general answer, that there is such a 

 difference in grass, and in the expertness of men becoming 

 nsed to their work, that before making additions it is well to 

 note carefully the time required to manage a certain portion, 

 going over it on an average three times in a fortnight. In par- 

 ticular places we have often found it necessary to machine the 

 grass twice a-week. 



In many submban villas the grass plat in front is often a 

 great eyesore. Many men engaged in business from 9 a.m. to 

 4 P.M., would do much to keep thiir little gardens nice, but the 

 grass is a difficulty, as they cannot work a machine well in 

 the morning. In many such cases, it would be far better if 

 the flower-beds were on stone or gravel, as all tidying could be 

 done in the morning or evening. To a certain extent it is well 

 for every one to stick to his occupation, and gardeners should 

 have their appropriate work ; but then everybody is supposed 

 to be more or less of a gardener ; and it is well that it is so, as 

 whatever pleasure there may be in looking at a garden, that 

 pleasure and interest are easily enhanced when the pleasing 

 effect is at least partly the result of our own labour. 



This dry weather has stopped some alterations and turfing 

 operations. That already laid down is standing the weather well ; 

 if it should crack at the seams we will scatter some fine soil 

 along them, and then the first rains will make all right. In 

 extreme cases, we have thrown a little soil all over, and swept 

 it off after rain and dryness before the grass grew much. One 

 gentleman is going to a new house in May, and wishes to have 

 a grass plat, but is afraid to ventm-e this season, but would like 

 to set about it if practicable. There is no question as to the 

 practicability, if, as he says, there is no difficulty in procuring 

 the turf. We have laid turf in all the summer months, and for 

 small plots there need be no difficulty, so long as ahttle extra 

 labour can be given. We would proceed thus — Mow the grass 

 short, whence the turf is to be taken, a few days beforehand, so 

 that the grass shall be growing afresh, and if a shower comes all 

 the better. Then level the plot so as to have all ready for the 

 turf ; bring the turf home carefully, and have two tubs if they 

 can be had ; fill both with turf, and let it soak in water for a 

 quarter of an hour, and as soon as the first tub is empty fill it 

 again, so that the torf may soak whilst that in the second is 



being taken out. Water the ground, if dry, through a rose, 



before putting the turf on it. Beat and roll in the usual way, 

 and growth will commence at once. We have scarcely ever 

 found more work necessary, except tilling up the seams with a 

 little earth if the weather proved very dry after turfing. Thus 

 managed, turf laid in May may be a nice grass plat in June 

 and July. Of course, less labour would be required if the work 

 were done before March, but the above mode may suit some 

 entering on new residences at this season. 



KITCHEN G.IRDEK. 



The general operations were vei-y much the same as those 

 detailed in last and previous weeks. Fresh-sown seeds were 

 watered and shaded with a few branches. lUdge and pickhng 

 Cucumbers, Vegetable Mai-rows, <S;c., were potted off to become 

 established before hardening them off ; Tomatoes, iSic, were 

 likewise potted and pricked off, Cauliflowers watered. Lettuces 

 pricked off, and arrangements made for pricking out good 

 plants of Celery, and smaller ones to be well shaded and pro- 

 tected. Bowed more Beans in pots to be transplanted, and a 

 lot of Scarlet Runners in boxes to be transplanted, as we think 

 they bear sooner than when sown at once, and can be defended 

 with a few branches before the May frosts are over. We would 

 have liked to have finished our Potato planting, but have been 

 obhged to defer it, to get on with other matters that could not 

 be delayed with propriety. 



FF.UIT GARDEN. 



Out of doors much the same as in previous weeks. In the 

 orchard-house noticed for the first time this season a few of 

 the brou-n apjds (Aphis persicie), on a small Peach tree. Put 

 some Quassia chips in a pail, poured some boiUng water over 

 them, and covered up with a cloth, as there was a hole in our 

 big kettle, and therefore we could not boil the chips ; and about 

 7 P.M. syringed the tree with the decoction, or tea, at a heat 

 of 130°, repeating the same in the morning at six o'clock. 

 We have seen none of these horrid visitors since, but will keep 

 a sharp look out, as of all insects this is the worst to conquer. 

 We did hope we should never have seen them again, and as 

 yet this is the only instance ; but then their powers of repro- 

 duction almost exceed belief. We found last year that soft- 

 soap water, and a little of the bitter from Quassia chips, were a 

 very effectual means for giving them their quietus ; but the 

 great means of secmity is to attack them at once, and when 

 one makes its appearance never to wait until a second show 

 itself. The powers of reproduction of the green fly are won- 

 derful — beyond calculation in fact, but are nothing as compared 

 with those of the brown aphis ; and, besides, the green fly is a 

 trifle to destroy and eradicate. As yet in these orchard-houses 

 we have seen merely two or three traces of the common green 

 fly ; and as the shoots had to be removed in myriads, we took 

 off the few shoots that were affected, and stuck them in our 

 pockets until we had the opportunity of turning these pockets 

 securely out and emptying them in a furnace. If the houses 

 can be kept thoroughly clean by such simple means, it is better 

 in every way than resorting to washings and smokings, which ■ 

 so far affect the plants, whilst they do not always destroy the 

 insects. 



As it was possible, however, that in pocketing these twenty or 

 thii'ty small shoots with fly on them some insects might drop 

 on the wall or the neighbouring shoots, and begin not only their 

 devouring but their propagating functions, we placed a pound 

 of Gishurst, having it by us, and a pound of Quassia chips, 

 in a pail — the Gishurst sUced thin — filled the pail with boiling 

 water, covered it up with several layers of cloth, and allowed the 

 whole to stand ten hours. We then strained the contents of the 

 pail into a barrel of thirty gallons, tilled up with water at 125°, 

 and syringed the trees well over. We have not seen a green 

 fly since ; but if anything will bring them back this scorching 

 weather, with cold winds, will do so. We have not seen a fly 

 in our early Peach-house as yet, though crammed with Straw- 

 berries and many other plants, and we never used the syringe 

 less. The great point of safety as respects insects is to attack 

 them at once — as soon as they show themselves, and not to 

 wait until they take possession and deposit their myriade 

 of eggs. So suddenly do they come, and in such myriads, that 

 there is a little excuse for some otherwise clever men almost 

 believing in spontaneous generation. Just to-day, in a frame 

 of nice healthy Cucumbers, on turning over the leaves a few 

 green fly were seen plastered on the under side of the leaves. 

 Not one was seen until after this dry scorching weather. Whence 

 did they come ? This frame had been used for several pur- 

 poses during the winter. The woodwork inside had been tho- 



